Southampton CEO calls playoff final expulsion 'manifestly disproportionate'

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] were thrown ‌out of Saturday’s Championship playoff final - the richest game in world football - after being ‌found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/middlesbrough/6F0lvLNC/"]Middlesbrough[/a] in ‌one of the harshest punishments imposed in the English game.[/p][p]Middlesbrough have now ‌been reinstated and are due to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull City[/a] at ‌Wembley on Saturday. However, Southampton have appealed against the decision by the Independent Disciplinary Commission, with a final ruling expected later on Wednesday.[/p][p][b]"On the appeal itself: ‌we accept that there should be a sanction. ⁠What we cannot accept is ‌a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence," Parsons said in ​[a href="https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/club-statement-20th-may-2026"]a statement[/a].[/b][/p][p][b]"Whereas [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds United[/a] was fined 200,000 pounds ($267,940) for a similar offence, Southampton has been denied the opportunity to ​compete in a game worth more than 200 million pounds and one which means so much to our staff, players and ⁠supporters.[/b][/p][p][b]"We believe the financial ​consequence of yesterday's ruling makes it, by a very considerable distance, the largest penalty ever imposed on an English football club."[/b][/p][embed guid="eb3bf842-fd6b-4d9e-b018-a2a58d9bf713" url="https://x.com/SouthamptonFC/status/2057083928377536687" social-type="twitter" /][p]Even a single season in the Premier League, followed by immediate relegation, is estimated ‌to be worth around 200 million pounds over three seasons through broadcast revenue, sponsorship and parachute payments.[/p][p]In 2019, Leeds were fined 200,000 pounds and reprimanded for spying on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/derby/Iug0YO0Q/"]Derby County[/a]. Then-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa admitted his staff had watched all the club's opponents in training that season.[/p][p]Parsons listed examples of other sanctions, such as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/luton/SlybbadF/"]Luton Town[/a]'s 30-point deduction in 2008-09 for a club in League Two but with "no comparable revenue at stake" as well as ‌Derby's 21-point deduction in 2021 that cost them their Championship ​status.[/p][p][b]"We say this not to minimise what occurred at this ‌club, which we have accepted was wrong. We say it because proportionality is itself a principle of natural justice," Parsons added.[/b][/p][p][b]"The Commission was entitled to impose a sanction. It was not, we will argue, entitled to impose one that is manifestly ⁠disproportionate to every previous ⁠sanction in the history of ‌the English game."[/b][/p]